Cholera kills one in Byo

Both cases are reported to have been imported from the disease’s epicentre, Budiriro in Harare.

Bulawayo health department has to date recorded a total of 36 suspected cases with only two being confirmed cholera cases.

One of the cases was that of an 88 year old man who developed diarrhoea in Francistown, Botswana and was on transit to Harare.

The man was then admitted at Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital where he was tested for cholera before his death.

“On Saturday we got another one who tested positive for cholera through the rapid diagnostic test (RDT). This is a 24-year-old man based here in Bulawayo who had gone to Budiriro in Harare for seven days from September 21 to 28. He was admitted at Thorngrove and was treated for cholera and has responded well. I think he was discharged as we speak,” said director of health services Dr Edward Sibanda.

Dr Sibanda said the city council has enough capacity to contain the disease if 50 or less cases are reported at different intervals.

He said they have a total of 200 cholera beds but they are in need of tents and generators to provide power to put in place cholera centres in the city.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Child Care has not recorded an increase in the number of cholera related deaths since last Wednesday.